Government “Solutions” Aren’t Based on Principle

When it comes to the physical world, you can either make random, unsupported and disjointed guesses about what is going on, or you can start with basics, try to understand some principles of physics, chemistry, etc., and then try to put together a somewhat coherent view of what is going on. For example, when it’s raining, you might see a flash and hear a boom, and arbitrarily theorize that maybe some gods are mad. Or you could take the time to understand some principles about electrical charges, sound waves, etc., and eventually reach a conclusion that isn’t complete crap.

As it happens, figuring out how human society should function can be approached from the same two angles: randomly making up theories and ideas based on whims and feelz, or trying to first figure out some principles–of economics, human behavior, morality, etc. For example, when you see some people behaving in a way that you think isn’t ideal, you can have an irrational, knee-jerk emotional response along the lines of, “Some big thing should use violence to make that not happen!” Or you could start with understanding some principles, such as self-ownership and non-aggression, and figure out a sane solution from there.

There are no “government” solutions that are based on principles. Ever. Whether it’s about drugs, or crime, or education, or immigration, or disease, or poverty, or anything else, authoritarian solutions always come from fear-based, unprincipled, arbitrary emotional reactionary crap. Every single time. And that’s why such “solutions” never fix the problems of society, and almost always make them far worse.

Larken Rose is an anarchist author best known for challenging the IRS to answer questions about the federal tax liability of citizens, and being put in prison with no questions answered. He is the author of The Most Dangerous Superstition.